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Storm(y) in a D cup for Donald Trump – politicalbetting.com

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    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427
    MaxPB said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    What's wrong with suggesting holidaying in the UK?
    Someone on that twitter feed gave you the answer. Our beaches are now open sewers. And for anyone who counters by claiming the French and Spanish are dirtier polluters, I would parry by claiming at least the sun will be shining more frequently.
    Are U.K. beaches worse than 5 years ago? Or is something else going on here?
    It would appear they are. The Water companies are using the contingency of pumping untreated and partially treated sewerage to surface water during periods of storm to any old time of their choosing. They are being fined and prosecuted by the EA, but the sanction is less than the saving, so happy days for them.

    There is something you can do to help; install a "leaky" water butt, and filter your storm water to ground more slowly to prevent the sewerage system being overwhelmed during periods of heavy rain.
    Part of the problem has been an attempt to prevent any kind of development. Try expanding a sewage farm and see what reception you get.

    The antis in West London are *still* fighting the Thames Super Sewer which was designed to deal with this issue. Which is just about coming into operation…
    See also Heathrow’s third runway, lab infrastructure in Oxfordshire, and basically any housing development anywhere.
    Nuclear power, tidal barrages, onshore wind turbines and until fairly recently fibre broadband and 4G/5G mobile masts.

    The UK is the home of the world's worst curtain twitching nimbys. No government will ever face them down.
    If I accidentally become a billionaire, I will be opening a Thermal Depolymerisation plant next to some people I know in Wiltshire.

    I will personally attend to the mis-fitting of the exhaust filters.
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    WillGWillG Posts: 2,097

    We need to end this idea that Boomers are reactionary bigots and Gen Z'ers naturally more progressive, perceptive and enlightened. For example, this astonishingly high number who are counter-reacting through Andrew Tate:

    "A 2023 survey conducted by Hope not Hate found that eight in ten British boys aged 16-17 had consumed Tate's content and that 45% of British men aged 16–24 had a positive view of him, compared to only 1% of British women aged 16-17 who held a positive view of Tate."

    Young people are simply impressionable and subject to the fashions of their peer group. That can include Ultra-Wokery or rampant misogyny.

    What it doesn't give them is some unique claim to truth and enlightenment that no other generation shares.

    What they should be taught is how to think for themselves.

    This is all a problem of social conservatives focused on homophobia and anti-wokeness, rather than making arguments for marriage, family and community.
  • Options
    WestieWestie Posts: 426
    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913
    murali_s said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    What's wrong with suggesting holidaying in the UK?
    There are some wonderful places in the UK. The problem is the weather - it’s shit! Gloomy and 11C is not pleasant.
    For most of us good weather is probably the most important ingredient for a holiday so I would never risk the UK other for a couple of days. It's not as though there aren't wonderful places all over Europe with much better weather. Another problem is that our wonderful places tend to be overrun every holiday weekend. I'm not knocking the UK but when it comes to a holiday France or Italy win hands down. You can't escape the fact that the UK is heavily congested island where it rains a lot.
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    FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 3,891
    Leon said:

    Anybody who has decided to go to France over Devon today has made a seriously bad call.

    Exquisite spring day out here in the South Hams today.

    It’s 7C and grey here in London. It’s like January. It’s April 2

    What a fucking dismal spring so far. Wettest march since records began…
    Glorious Spring day here in the Flatlands. Definitely not pining for the South of France. April looks like being a decent month, as it usually is.

    For various reasons I haven't had a holiday abroad since 2005 and although there's places I'd like to go, I never feel like a holiday in the UK is a poor replacement.

    Perhaps it is just tolerance for wearing a few more clothes that makes the difference?

    If it was sunny all the time, it would get boring.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237

    LOL


    Spock really has made an idiot of himself with this, and I doubt his fellow Leavers are too enamoured with him either. At least attempt to keep the Borisite go-getting, outward-looking-Britain dream alive. If Brexit means wet weekends in Bognor Regis and making our own hobnail boots again. then everyone will be flooding to Rejoin in a jiffy. People like Redwood in the ruling elites, with their in a fancy apartments off the Boulevard St. Michel, really don't understand how the nation ticks.
    Several things going on here, I reckon.

    One is the nature of elite Brexit backers, those for whom Europe is simply too small a stage. If your international travel happens through first class lounges, you're liable to underestimate the benefits of getting rid of border controls.

    The next is that, either side of 2016, there was and is a sense that Brexit wasn't really going to work like this. There'd be some sort of fudge, an under-the-counter deal, some kind of Alumni Dining Rights. Hence the blaming of Europe, May and Unrepentant Remoaners for forcing us into this corner. Whereas really it's a case study in how getting exactly what you want often ends badly.

    And finally, there's the Hyacinth Bucket problem. The response to French indolence at the borders is to write a stuff letter threatening to take our custom elsewhere. See also German Car Makers and Italian Prosecco producers. Every time the UK has made that posture, it's been met by a shrug. One would hope we had noticed the pattern by now.
    But a lot of it is actual spite from the EU, making sure Brexit is as painful as possible for Britain. They explicitly promised this in the negotiations. Barnier said it. Macron said it. Brexit has to hurt so others don’t copy us

    Eg passports. The UK generously allows EU citizens and others to share passport lanes with UK citizens. This speeds things up for everyone. The EU could reciprocate - just add a stamp which takes 10 seconds - yet they don’t reciprocate. Alternatively they could do what the Portuguese do - hire a few more staff. Bingo - the queues disappear

    So I’m fairly sure this is a deliberate, niggling measure to make sure Brexit is noticed by Britons. France in particular was notorious for causing petty hassle at the borders - long before Brexit - for political reasons/national advantage

  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,249
    Leon said:

    Anybody who has decided to go to France over Devon today has made a seriously bad call.

    Exquisite spring day out here in the South Hams today.

    It’s 7C and grey here in London. It’s like January. It’s April 2

    What a fucking dismal spring so far. Wettest march since records began…
    Just as well given how dry February was.

    Even at that the West Country is still at high risk of drought this summer although the rest of the country is well topped up.
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    StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 7,053

    Vodafone warned of ‘profound national security questions’ over merger with Chinese-owned Three
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/04/01/vodafone-warned-national-security-merger-chinese-three/ (£££)

    Oddly, it is Iain Duncan Smith and the trade union Unite that is raising security questions because the government is asleep on the job.

    It’s Hutch owned. They are as Chinese as HSBC.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,249
    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    Oh good Lord. Has she never heard of the first rule of politics?
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    OllyT said:

    murali_s said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    What's wrong with suggesting holidaying in the UK?
    There are some wonderful places in the UK. The problem is the weather - it’s shit! Gloomy and 11C is not pleasant.
    For most of us good weather is probably the most important ingredient for a holiday so I would never risk the UK other for a couple of days. It's not as though there aren't wonderful places all over Europe with much better weather. Another problem is that our wonderful places tend to be overrun every holiday weekend. I'm not knocking the UK but when it comes to a holiday France or Italy win hands down. You can't escape the fact that the UK is heavily congested island where it rains a lot.
    On the other hand, people in southern England - especially London - especially around Camden/Primrose Hill - have the advantage of superb and speedy access to all of Europe, North Africa, and beyond. Even NYC is only five hours away

    Fancy a weekend in Nice? Off you go. Lunch in Verona? It can be done. Mad desire to go to Reykjavik tonight? Doddle

    This is a massive benefit of our location. When you spend time in the USA or Australia or Canada or Africa etc etc you realise just how far away you are from anywhere really interesting and beautiful and DIFFERENT
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,626
    Suella Braverman insists Rwanda is safe for migrants
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65153807
    Suella Braverman has insisted Rwanda is a safe country for migrants, despite evidence that 12 Congolese refugees were shot dead by police there in 2018.
    When presented with the evidence on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the home secretary said she was "not familiar" with the case...

  • Options
    WillGWillG Posts: 2,097
    Russian is a criminal culture:

    https://www.jpost.com/international/article-736134

    Russian officers use female combat medics as sex slaves - report
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    ydoethur said:

    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    Oh good Lord. Has she never heard of the first rule of politics?
    She is trying to get ahead of the curve. All the secrets will come out now
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427
    Leon said:

    ydoethur said:

    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    Oh good Lord. Has she never heard of the first rule of politics?
    She is trying to get ahead of the curve. All the secrets will come out now
    There are stupid rumours about everyone vaguely famous.

    Corbyn’s file as a KGB agent is a classic of the genere - someone put quite a bit of work into that ridiculous forgery.
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    MightyAlexMightyAlex Posts: 1,447
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt

    Their debt repayments are the majority of their expenditure, they can barely afford to subsidise bread anymore and have only escaped collapse by flogging their state companies and banks to the gulf. Not a happy stratocracy. Egypt's fucked, Tunisia's fucked, Libya etc etc.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856
    Leon said:

    ydoethur said:

    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    Oh good Lord. Has she never heard of the first rule of politics?
    She is trying to get ahead of the curve. All the secrets will come out now
    Lesbian I guess we knew.
    But personally I am shocked that Judy Murray is involved.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    edited April 2023

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt

    Their debt repayments are the majority of their expenditure, they can barely afford to subsidise bread anymore and have only escaped collapse by flogging their state companies and banks to the gulf. Not a happy stratocracy. Egypt's fucked, Tunisia's fucked, Libya etc etc.
    Sure. But you can get a decent 5 star hotel for about £60 a night
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856

    MaxPB said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    Flying in and out of CDG, good luck!
    Yeah, couldn't have picked 2 worse examples for European airports. Especially Schip-hole.
    GW will also appreciate this, as a Kiwi:

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/300842055/like-a-mob-travellers-complain-of-feral-crowds-at-new-zealand-airports

    My experience at AKL in November was noticeably worse than pre-covid.
    NZ is definitely a year behind the rest of the world in terms of recovering from Covid. I’m hoping to go back in December (first time since before Covid) and hopefully they’ll have sorted their shit out by then.
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,169
    Finnish elections today. Sanna's party may be over. Time for the orphan to bite.
    Petteri Orpo and Riika Purra are the leaders of the right-ish and more right-ish parties. Orpo means orphan and purra is to bite. Possibly only @darkage would get the joke.
  • Options
    squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,355
    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    I don't believe that as a reason for a second.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.

    But you’re right, I fancied a grizzle.
    It’s very sunny here in NY (as always) but I just aborted my Sunday morning run as the wind speed was threatening to lift me off Riverside Park and dunk me in the Hudson.
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,461
    Nigelb said:

    Suella Braverman insists Rwanda is safe for migrants
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65153807
    Suella Braverman has insisted Rwanda is a safe country for migrants, despite evidence that 12 Congolese refugees were shot dead by police there in 2018.
    When presented with the evidence on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the home secretary said she was "not familiar" with the case...

    Does Rishi never look round the Cabinet table and ask himself "why am I surrounded by all these terrible people?"
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    Example. I’ve stayed here a couple of times. It’s in Luxor. It’s a hideous looking concrete blob but it has brilliant Nile views, a great location, a lovely pool, a fine Japanese restaurant. Sitting on the terrace drinking a gin and tonic as the sun goes down over the deserts and the temples is a sublime experience

    £61 a night




  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    geoffw said:

    Finnish elections today. Sanna's party may be over. Time for the orphan to bite.

    Petteri Orpo and Riika Purra are the leaders of the right-ish and more right-ish parties. Orpo means orphan and purra is to bite. Possibly only @darkage would get the joke.
    I miss the innocent days of THE FINLAND RUMOUR
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,661
    This really ought to be on the news every day.

    "Postmasters ruined by Post Office IT scandal offered ‘insulting’ £10k for reputational damage
    Tax lawyer Dan Neidle blasts recompense scheme for victims who went to court over false accusations of theft as ‘abhorrent’" (£)

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/26/postmasters-ruined-post-office-scandal-offered-insulting-10k/
  • Options
    MightyAlexMightyAlex Posts: 1,447
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt

    Their debt repayments are the majority of their expenditure, they can barely afford to subsidise bread anymore and have only escaped collapse by flogging their state companies and banks to the gulf. Not a happy stratocracy. Egypt's fucked, Tunisia's fucked, Libya etc etc.
    Sure. But you can get a decent 5 star hotel for about £60 a night
    Wish you all the best there. After watching the Michael Wood series I've always wanted to see Siwa and Iran.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856
    edited April 2023
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    No. See my edit.
    Although it’s ironic that Brexiters might sneer at coach travellers for the (checks notes) elitist behaviour of…travelling on a coach.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    When did we ever have such a government?
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856
    Sean_F said:

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    When did we ever have such a government?
    Things worked pretty well from, say, 2000 until 2012. Apart from the houses bit.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850
    WillG said:

    Leon said:

    Anybody who has decided to go to France over Devon today has made a seriously bad call.

    Exquisite spring day out here in the South Hams today.

    It’s 7C and grey here in London. It’s like January. It’s April 2

    What a fucking dismal spring so far. Wettest march since records began…
    It will also get worse from climate change. While the world will get warmer and wetter overall, a small island in the far north is mainly going to be affected by the wetter part of that, given it is surrounded by water. We will get heat waves but the main local effect will be lots of rain, causing local mild coldness.
    Rain, however, is good for one’s complexion.
  • Options
    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,283
    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,680

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.

    But you’re right, I fancied a grizzle.
    It’s very sunny here in NY (as always) but I just aborted my Sunday morning run as the wind speed was threatening to lift me off Riverside Park and dunk me in the Hudson.
    https://thepointsguy.com/news/travel-disruption-strikes-europe/amp/
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    No. See my edit.
    Although it’s ironic that Brexiters might sneer at coach travellers for the (checks notes) elitist behaviour of…travelling on a coach.
    A large number of those travelling by coach will be foreigners. It is the cheapest route, very often. For the lowest paid, Wiz Air is a luxury, for getting back to Poland, for example.

    Victoria coach station, London, is an eye opener of where your office cleaner comes from.
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,461

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I used to holiday inside the UK a lot.
    But let’s face it, it’s expensive and once you get there you’ve got queues at Dover and beaches polluted with shit.

    I think I’ll give it a miss for another year.
    Wake me up when the country decides to return to first world status.

    If you’re holidaying in the UK, flying in from NYC, why on earth would “queues at Dover” be an issue?

    As for the shit on the beaches, yes it’s a disgrace but one of the causes is mass immigration - if you add 10m people and don’t add the infrastructure things will overflow. Brexit was an attempt by many of the British people - a failed attempt - to stop mass immigration
    Because, coming from the US, it makes sense to continue a holiday into continental Europe.

    But it seems like it would be easier to just fly in and out of CDG or Schiphol and give the UK a wide berth.
    I’d be really quite surprised if you flew into the UK then suddenly decided to buy a right hand drive car which you could awkwardly take to France where you need a left hand drive car. From what I know of your background I’d be equally surprised if you flew into london then suddenly decided to go on an all inclusive coach trip to Le Havre

    You wanted to rant about shitty brexity britain, and you did it slightly incoherently. C’est tout
    Heathrow. Visit friends in London. Eurostar to Paris, and then out into France profonde.
    So, not via Dover then
    No. See my edit.
    Although it’s ironic that Brexiters might sneer at coach travellers for the (checks notes) elitist behaviour of…travelling on a coach.
    Think of the Goodwinite coalition as the high and low both resenting the Upper Middle and it makes perfect sense. One part of the 2016-9 coalition resents people having foreign holidays, the other part looks down on anyone in a coach.
  • Options
    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,607
    edited April 2023

    Sean_F said:

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    When did we ever have such a government?
    Things worked pretty well from, say, 2000 until 2012. Apart from the houses bit.
    Labour oversaw basically zero energy production growth, put off HS2 and put off the Heathrow runway decision countless times and allowed water companies to get away with zero investment in infrastructure. 2000-2012 was just as bad as it is now.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850

    Sean_F said:

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    When did we ever have such a government?
    Things worked pretty well from, say, 2000 until 2012. Apart from the houses bit.
    Things ended in tears in 2008-09. At the age of 55, I’d say that most complaints about the standard of government sound quite similar, across the decades.
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,169
    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850
    Leon said:

    geoffw said:

    Finnish elections today. Sanna's party may be over. Time for the orphan to bite.

    Petteri Orpo and Riika Purra are the leaders of the right-ish and more right-ish parties. Orpo means orphan and purra is to bite. Possibly only @darkage would get the joke.
    I miss the innocent days of THE FINLAND RUMOUR
    How I wish it were true.
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,951

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    Sadly no we can't. Such a government can no longer exist. We have one side who is incompetent and wedded to the pure free market ideology and the other side who are perhaps more competent (who knows until they get their chance) and wedded to the ideology that tax and spend will solve all our problems. Neither are willing to seriously try to deal with the systemic and institutional failings of our economic and social paradigms as both are really only interested in getting re-elected at the next election.

    Labour or Tory, inside or outside the EU, there are no current politicians willing or able to take the steps necessary to put things right after many decades of Government ineptitude.

    The only reason to want to see the Tories out of office is they appear to be (I would say are) more corrupt and more inept than the alternatives. But I have no faith that those alternatives will actually make anything much better.
  • Options
    GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 20,856
    MaxPB said:

    Sean_F said:

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    When did we ever have such a government?
    Things worked pretty well from, say, 2000 until 2012. Apart from the houses bit.
    Labour oversaw basically zero energy production growth, put off HS2 and put off the Heathrow runway decision countless times and allowed water companies to get away with zero investment in infrastructure. 2000-2012 was just as bad as it is now.
    it was great to be in London. King’s Cross, new buses, the Croydon tram, etc.

    And across the country, public services actually worked, notably the NHS.

    Compare and contrast with late Major and, indeed, now.
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,951
    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    geoffw said:

    Finnish elections today. Sanna's party may be over. Time for the orphan to bite.

    Petteri Orpo and Riika Purra are the leaders of the right-ish and more right-ish parties. Orpo means orphan and purra is to bite. Possibly only @darkage would get the joke.
    I miss the innocent days of THE FINLAND RUMOUR
    How I wish it were true.
    How I wish I knew what it was.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,237
    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    I wouldn’t go to Luxor in July/August, no

    Luxor in Feb-mid May is perfect. Aswan for December January. Cairo April June or autumn

    Siwa I have no idea!
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,680
    Starmer edges backwards on women.
    The direction of travel is fine but he seems to need external events - like the EHRC - to lead. O/w it’s just baby steps.
    It may be safe politics but also explains why people think he lacks principle: see his behaviour to @RosieDuffield1


    https://twitter.com/SCynic1/status/1642507056568516610?s=20
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,567

    ‘..more than £6.4 million has been paid by the Scottish government to organisations that have criticised the UK government’s decision to block the bill’


    A bill 51% of Scots think should be dropped…..”right side of history” or no…

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pressure-on-humza-yousaf-to-drop-gender-recognition-reform-bill-mjsfg5d2k

    Only 6.4 million?

    Diminishing, then.

    Afternoon, all. Just off for a walk in the sun.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850

    Sean_F said:

    Leon said:

    geoffw said:

    Finnish elections today. Sanna's party may be over. Time for the orphan to bite.

    Petteri Orpo and Riika Purra are the leaders of the right-ish and more right-ish parties. Orpo means orphan and purra is to bite. Possibly only @darkage would get the joke.
    I miss the innocent days of THE FINLAND RUMOUR
    How I wish it were true.
    How I wish I knew what it was.
    It is so defamatory that it is impossible to repeat.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    Sadly no we can't. Such a government can no longer exist. We have one side who is incompetent and wedded to the pure free market ideology and the other side who are perhaps more competent (who knows until they get their chance) and wedded to the ideology that tax and spend will solve all our problems. Neither are willing to seriously try to deal with the systemic and institutional failings of our economic and social paradigms as both are really only interested in getting re-elected at the next election.

    Labour or Tory, inside or outside the EU, there are no current politicians willing or able to take the steps necessary to put things right after many decades of Government ineptitude.

    The only reason to want to see the Tories out of office is they appear to be (I would say are) more corrupt and more inept than the alternatives. But I have no faith that those alternatives will actually make anything much better.
    Both seem to be in denial that expanding the population requires expanding infrastructure.

    NIMBYism under Labour will emphasise the environmental pitch to prevent new roads, sewage works etc.
  • Options
    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427
    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,850

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    Sadly no we can't. Such a government can no longer exist. We have one side who is incompetent and wedded to the pure free market ideology and the other side who are perhaps more competent (who knows until they get their chance) and wedded to the ideology that tax and spend will solve all our problems. Neither are willing to seriously try to deal with the systemic and institutional failings of our economic and social paradigms as both are really only interested in getting re-elected at the next election.

    Labour or Tory, inside or outside the EU, there are no current politicians willing or able to take the steps necessary to put things right after many decades of Government ineptitude.

    The only reason to want to see the Tories out of office is they appear to be (I would say are) more corrupt and more inept than the alternatives. But I have no faith that those alternatives will actually make anything much better.
    The Conservatives’ corruption is a sound reason to vote them out, but the party that is in government will be the most corrupt. Labour were corrupt by the late 2000’s, and there have been enough scandals at Labour-run councils.
  • Options
    Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 3,388

    Nigelb said:

    Suella Braverman insists Rwanda is safe for migrants
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65153807
    Suella Braverman has insisted Rwanda is a safe country for migrants, despite evidence that 12 Congolese refugees were shot dead by police there in 2018.
    When presented with the evidence on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the home secretary said she was "not familiar" with the case...

    Does Rishi never look round the Cabinet table and ask himself "why am I surrounded by all these terrible people?"
    When you are surrounded by turds, what can you do ..?
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,567

    Nigelb said:

    MaxPB said:

    Carnyx said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    One of our village Tories on PB was going on about how people would flock to places such as Skegness instead of nast furrin resorts. Brexit benefit.
    Whether out of choice or affordability, millions of people do holiday in Britain, so opposition parties should be a bit wary of these attacks.
    Yes, Labour need to be careful that they aren't pitching themselves as "too good" for a British holiday. It reopens the whole idea that Labour hate this country and can't wait to tell us that we're all racist because we don't hate it too.
    That's a fairly unconvincing way of saying don't blame us for ballsing up Brexit.
    Brexit....Brexit...Brexit....Brexit....

    Address the argument for once.
    Ok please can we go back to having a government that can manage things like international travel, ambulances arriving at hospitals, fixing our roads, employing enough nurses and building enough houses?
    Ambulance waits seems to have dropped off the news. Sorted? Or now routine?
    As of Feb, improving according to the NHS (in England - can't comment on NiSW)).

    That's probably why no one's talking about it.

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/02/ambulance-response-times-improve-in-face-of-ongoing-winter-pressures/
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    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,071
    Leon said:

    LOL


    Spock really has made an idiot of himself with this, and I doubt his fellow Leavers are too enamoured with him either. At least attempt to keep the Borisite go-getting, outward-looking-Britain dream alive. If Brexit means wet weekends in Bognor Regis and making our own hobnail boots again. then everyone will be flooding to Rejoin in a jiffy. People like Redwood in the ruling elites, with their in a fancy apartments off the Boulevard St. Michel, really don't understand how the nation ticks.
    Several things going on here, I reckon.

    One is the nature of elite Brexit backers, those for whom Europe is simply too small a stage. If your international travel happens through first class lounges, you're liable to underestimate the benefits of getting rid of border controls.

    The next is that, either side of 2016, there was and is a sense that Brexit wasn't really going to work like this. There'd be some sort of fudge, an under-the-counter deal, some kind of Alumni Dining Rights. Hence the blaming of Europe, May and Unrepentant Remoaners for forcing us into this corner. Whereas really it's a case study in how getting exactly what you want often ends badly.

    And finally, there's the Hyacinth Bucket problem. The response to French indolence at the borders is to write a stuff letter threatening to take our custom elsewhere. See also German Car Makers and Italian Prosecco producers. Every time the UK has made that posture, it's been met by a shrug. One would hope we had noticed the pattern by now.
    But a lot of it is actual spite from the EU, making sure Brexit is as painful as possible for Britain. They explicitly promised this in the negotiations. Barnier said it. Macron said it. Brexit has to hurt so others don’t copy us

    Eg passports. The UK generously allows EU citizens and others to share passport lanes with UK citizens. This speeds things up for everyone. The EU could reciprocate - just add a stamp which takes 10 seconds - yet they don’t reciprocate. Alternatively they could do what the Portuguese do - hire a few more staff. Bingo - the queues disappear

    So I’m fairly sure this is a deliberate, niggling measure to make sure Brexit is noticed by Britons. France in particular was notorious for causing petty hassle at the borders - long before Brexit - for political reasons/national advantage
    Some UK airports arrange the queues as if the UK were still part of the EU, with lines marked simply EU and non-EU. I'm not sure who's responsible for the signage but it feels like a political message.
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    DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 24,407

    Vodafone warned of ‘profound national security questions’ over merger with Chinese-owned Three
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/04/01/vodafone-warned-national-security-merger-chinese-three/ (£££)

    Oddly, it is Iain Duncan Smith and the trade union Unite that is raising security questions because the government is asleep on the job.

    It’s Hutch owned. They are as Chinese as HSBC.
    Trouble is China and Hong Kong are no longer as independent as used to be the case.
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    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,169

    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
    Lost me there.

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    MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 44,427
    geoffw said:

    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
    Lost me there.

    geoffw said:

    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
    Lost me there.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Feathers_(1939_film)
  • Options

    NEW THREAD

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    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,169

    geoffw said:

    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
    Lost me there.

    geoffw said:

    geoffw said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    Get blinded in Gaza.
    #Durrance
    Lost me there.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Feathers_(1939_film)
    OK yeah, saw that sometime in the mid-50s. Great film.

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    kinabalukinabalu Posts: 39,226

    LOL


    Spock really has made an idiot of himself with this, and I doubt his fellow Leavers are too enamoured with him either. At least attempt to keep the Borisite go-getting, outward-looking-Britain dream alive. If Brexit means wet weekends in Bognor Regis and making our own hobnail boots again. then everyone will be flooding to Rejoin in a jiffy. People like Redwood in the ruling elites, with their in a fancy apartments off the Boulevard St. Michel, really don't understand how the nation ticks.
    Thanks for spoiling one of my favourite songs. I have no wish whatsoever to know where John Redwood goes when he's alone in his bed.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,283
    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    As this is on topic: a TRAVEL TIP. I’ve been commissioned to go to Siwa, Egypt so I’ve been doing a spot of research

    It’s been a while since I was last there and without my noticing the Egyptian £ has completely collapsed. It fell heavily from 2015 on but in the last year this has accelerated greatly: it has halved in value. From E£20 to the £ to E£40

    This is reflected in Egyptian prices - from hotels to meals to dodgy domestic Stella beer

    If you desperately need sun, think about Egypt


    Go to Egypt if you want to test the theory that you can never have too much sun.
    I wouldn’t go to Luxor in July/August, no

    Luxor in Feb-mid May is perfect. Aswan for December January. Cairo April June or autumn

    Siwa I have no idea!
    I did Luxor/Aswan in February-March, which was more than enough sun for me. Going there in high summer would be lunatic.
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    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913
    Leon said:

    OllyT said:

    murali_s said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Cicero said:

    Apparently this is not a parody John Redwood account, its an actual tweet... https://twitter.com/johnredwood/status/1642403656111669248?s=20

    It is so utterly stupid it is actually funny, in a "I´d like to burn the Tory Party to the ground, plough their fields with salt and slaughter their first born" kind of way - and the voters will quite likely feel the same way.

    What's wrong with suggesting holidaying in the UK?
    There are some wonderful places in the UK. The problem is the weather - it’s shit! Gloomy and 11C is not pleasant.
    For most of us good weather is probably the most important ingredient for a holiday so I would never risk the UK other for a couple of days. It's not as though there aren't wonderful places all over Europe with much better weather. Another problem is that our wonderful places tend to be overrun every holiday weekend. I'm not knocking the UK but when it comes to a holiday France or Italy win hands down. You can't escape the fact that the UK is heavily congested island where it rains a lot.
    On the other hand, people in southern England - especially London - especially around Camden/Primrose Hill - have the advantage of superb and speedy access to all of Europe, North Africa, and beyond. Even NYC is only five hours away

    Fancy a weekend in Nice? Off you go. Lunch in Verona? It can be done. Mad desire to go to Reykjavik tonight? Doddle

    This is a massive benefit of our location. When you spend time in the USA or Australia or Canada or Africa etc etc you realise just how far away you are from anywhere really interesting and beautiful and DIFFERENT
    Agreed. Lived in London for 30 years and loved it and, as you say, most of Europe very accessible if cost was not much of an issue.

    However if you were not very flushed would you prefer to live your life out in rural UK or rural France? Be France for me every time
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,980

    ‘..more than £6.4 million has been paid by the Scottish government to organisations that have criticised the UK government’s decision to block the bill’


    A bill 51% of Scots think should be dropped…..”right side of history” or no…

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pressure-on-humza-yousaf-to-drop-gender-recognition-reform-bill-mjsfg5d2k

    It is all a big ponzi scheme, they fund all these crazy organisations and put all their pals in jobs , then they consult only these groups to validate their policies and so on and so on. Grifters pure and simple.
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    malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,980
    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    Westie said:

    https://news.sky.com/story/nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-secret-lesbian-claim-as-she-addresses-reasons-for-her-resignation-12848227

    "Scotland's former first minister says online gossip about her was 'part of the reason' behind her decision to resign. One of the claims she dismissed was she was a 'secret lesbian' who had an affair with a female French diplomat and the pair had bought a house from Andy Murray's mum Judy."

    What an amazingly clever technique there.
    Cr-r-r-r-r-rash!

    hiding in public view
This discussion has been closed.